In 2016 , through a number of phone calls and at meetings, concerns were expressed to me regarding personal and property safety. The concerns cover a variety of areas and issues with varying degrees of seriousness.
In order to more accurately gauge the level of concern and in what areas, valley-wide, I have put together a short survey. It is anonymous. I will publish the results so everyone can see.
If you could please complete this survey it would be much appreciated.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WSLHSSV
Sledding on the Hurley - Survey
See my previous blog with information on Hurley FSR re sledding:
http://www.debbiedemare.com/2017/01/sledding-on-hurley-and-more.html
Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3FVZX25
Please complete by end of February. We have had good response so far.
I will be publishing the results and also forwarding on to Rec. Sites and Trails for their consideration of how to proceed.
Sledding on the Hurley - Survey
See my previous blog with information on Hurley FSR re sledding:
http://www.debbiedemare.com/2017/01/sledding-on-hurley-and-more.html
Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3FVZX25
Please complete by end of February. We have had good response so far.
I will be publishing the results and also forwarding on to Rec. Sites and Trails for their consideration of how to proceed.
Invasive Mussels Move Closer
to BC Borders.
On November 30, 2016, the
Governor for Montana declared a state of emergency for Montana's water bodies
because invasive mussel larvae had been detected in the Tiber and Canyon Ferry
Reservoirs. An Incident Command Team was set up for this emergency and has
been working on the situation. As the
crow flies, this means that mussels have been found 50 miles from the Columbia
River watershed that flows from Alberta into BC and Washington.
Two, back to back, emergency
meetings were held on December 9th to inform BC partners about the
situation in Montana and to discuss plans for the western provinces and US
states. It was co-hosted by the Pacific
Northwest Economic region (pnwer.org), the Invasive Species Council of BC and the
Alberta Invasive Species Council. Each meeting had a call to action as a
response to the Montana situation:
·
Western Canada Meeting: With invasive mussels closer to Western
Canada, there is a clear call for increased diligence on prevention and
readiness for immediate response. This meeting will review what worked in 2016
and what more is needed to avoid invasive mussels arriving in Western Canada.
·
BC Partners Meeting: With invasive mussels closer to BC, there is
a clear need for immediate action. This meeting will review what worked in 2016
and suggest what more is needed to avoid invasive mussels arriving in BC.
Over 50 people participated
in these meetings and recommendations were developed based on the calls to
action.
There were recommendations as
a result of both meetings. The BC Partner recommendations are summarized
generally below:
- · A call for the Provincial and Federal Governments work together to ensure 100% of high-risk watercraft entering BC are inspected.
- · Review and update regulatory tools to enable invasive mussels to trigger an environmental emergency.
- · Host an emergency response scenario with partners to rehearse a response and identify gaps.
- · Establish a monitoring and sampling plan for water bodies in BC that includes Government and non-government organizations.
- · Increase voluntary compliance-certification of boaters and fresh water users.
- · Undertake immediate research to determine the impact of invasive mussels on salmon and salmon fishery.
- · Review regulatory framework to consider boat registration on BC waters.
- · Increase funding support.
LRISS is keeping abreast of the Montana situation as well as the Provincial response. We are on email lists for updates from Montana and BC. The LRISS Board will also be discussion our Aquatics program in the coming months and how we can continue to do our part to prevent Aquatic Invasive Species from establishing in our region and BC. Our partnerships with the Bridge River Community Association and the SLRD are key to our
Separate the good from the bad, and reduce what is lost forever to landfill with SLRD’s free downloadable signs
Get the graphics here: http://www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/news-events/new-downloadable-graphics-help-citizens-navigate-their-trash
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